PINCERS MOVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 5 August 1941, Page 5

PINCERS MOVE

BID IN THE SOUTH DEFENCES PREPARED TANKS COUNTER-ATTACK (Elec. Tel Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. 5, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 4. A Moscow communique states: “Our troops to-night continued lighting against the enemy in the Smolensk, Korosten and Belot-Serkov directions and also in the Estonian sector. There were no significant changes in the Rumanian sectors. “Large enemy tank formations attempted five times to attack our fortifications in the south-west sector. ■ After the enemy had run short of fuel and several tanks had been destroyed, our forces went into counterattacks. A fierce battle ensued in which 300 tanks and armoured cars took part on both sides. After one of the tank units had been put out of action, our tank , formations penetrated into the enemy lines. In all, the enemy lost 100 tanks and armoured cars, 45 guns. 30 motorised vehicles, and at least 1000 Fascist soldiers and officers killed." The Soviet War News, published ir London, states that at least 11 Üboats, nine destroyers, 12 transports, Ihree tankers, three patrol ships, several monitors and barges, and one munition ship have so far been sunk in the Baltic and the Black Sea by the Soviet warships and planes. Counters West of Kiev A Berlin message states that Soviet troops are reported to be fiercely counter-attacking west of Kiev in the . effort’ to relieve encircled units. The Germans are flinging in a powerful air force in this sector. Further reports from Moscow state that the Soviet High Command was not taken by surprise by the new German pincers drive against Kiev. A duaL thrust is stated to have been attempted by strong Panzer units, while the Red Army still holds the mass ol the German infantry 80 miles west of Kiev round Jitomir. Apparently the Germans, finding the direct approach to Kiev too firmly defended, opened Converging lines of advance north and south of the main road to Moscow. However, the Russians are confident that Marshal Budenny can cope with the new columns. Reports from the front state that a Nazi general commanding the 16th German motorised division was killed in action, in a locality not stated, while resisting , a Russian counterattack in which half of the Nazi effectives were destroyed. Russian Morale High After six weeks of fighting the Russian morale is high and the leaders of the people are confidently looking forward to the coming critical month. The authorities in Moscow realise the importance of the renewed German thrust in the Ukraine. They recognise that the Germans are attempting a pincers movement aimed at the encirclement of Kiev and the cutting of the railway paralleling the Dnieper between central Russia and ' the Ukraine mining areas, as well as the r Nikoiayev granary. The thrust if successful would also cut off Odessa. Reuter's Zurich correspondent quotes a report from Berlin stating that the Germans are attempting a diversion towards Odessa. A German-Ruman-ian force crossed the Dniester at several points near the mouth. Troops Which crossed the river near Kishinev are stated to be wheeling south-east-wards to join the thrust. German Transport Problem The Times' correspondent on the German frontier says: “Recognising that the completion of the Russian mobilisation has made a long war almost a certainty, the Germans are confronted with the necessity of modernising the entire Russian transport system within that section of Russia they have how occupied. The task of driving without pause across wretched roads and harassed by snipers and saboteurs is imposing a terrific physical and nervous strain, resulting in enormous wastage of drivers and vehicles. , “A solution of the transport problem depends substantially on the rebuilding of roads for which hundreds of thousands of pioneers have recently gone eastwards. The Germans are also tackling the task of adapting the Russian broad railway gauge to the German rolling stock.”